A Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a person in charge of managing a business’s IT and computer systems; they also help to develop plans and ensure that company-wide goals are being met. It is important to note that a CIO is not simply a “Mr. or Mrs. Fix-It”. Some of the most common tasks sourced to a CIO include:

Evaluating the efficiency of a company’s disaster recovery options and overall system security

Designing a technology plan that also aligns with the company’s business objectives and optimizes productivity

Recommends budget modifications for future projects

For small businesses, bringing on an in-house CIO is not always a possibility due to financial or time constraints. It is typical for some of these responsibilities to be sourced to the CEO and/or CFO; however, it doesn’t take long before he or she becomes overwhelmed with service ticket requests, server issues or setting up a desktop for a new employee. One option that is quickly gaining popularity within the small business community is a Virtual CIO. This role assumes all the traditional responsibilities of a CIO, but the task is typically outsourced to a trusted third party.

Getting right to the point, hiring in-house is expensive (we’re talking six figures expensive). The first and most obvious benefit to having a Virtual CIO is that it is a cost-effective alternative for companies that want to receive the benefits of a CIO but without the high overhead. One of the key benefits of outsourcing the responsibilities of a CIO is that you will have access to knowledge and relevant industry expertise, which allows for unique perspectives to help create a technology roadmap for an organization. Acquiring an outside analysis of your company’s systems help give you an objective idea of where there is strength and where there needs to be improvement.

Blue Tier Technology is proud to offer the exclusive services of our HybridCIO to businesses of all sizes. When you work with our HybridCIO, you can expect unparalleled expertise and professionalism. Not only is he passionate about what he does, he is passionate about delivering exceptional, honest service to his clients. If your company is seeking a complete technology plan for your businesses without breaking the bank, visit our website or give us a call to schedule a consultation with our HybridCIO. COntact us today via email (general@bluetiertech.com) or give us a call (918-215-5222).

Small businesses are one of the most common targets for cyber security attacks within the United States. The primary reason for this is typically due to a lack of dedicated cyber security staff. One of the most common tactics hackers use to compromise security is called phishing. Phishing is when a criminal sends out an email that appears to be from a legitimate company; the email will almost always ask you to provide personal or banking information that will then go back to said criminal for their own use. The term phishing was coined because in this way, the scammers are casting out a lure hoping end-users will take the bait. Phishing emails can expose your business to ransomware, which could compromise sensitive information or even capture usernames and passwords. Here are some tips to help you recognize a phishing email:

The first red flag here is the lack of recipient name. If the recipient was legitimately being contacted by PayPal, his or her name and account number would already be disclosed in the email.

The easiest way to determine whether or not you’re being phished is to look at the sender’s domain. In this particular instance, the domain does not link back to a legitimate PayPal email address, so we can be sure this is a phishing attempt.

If an email has glaring spelling and grammatical errors such as this one, chances are it’s not a legitimate email.

Another helpful tip to find a phishing email is to hover over the hyperlinks. Most of the time that will reveal an extensive, suspicious URL.

So, we’ve gone through the motions and have determined we’ve found a phishing email. Now what? The primary thing to remember is to never, EVER click the links or visit the websites they provide in the email. Always verify the legitimate web addresses yourself. In this example, we would recommend going to PayPal’s website and comparing the hyperlinks to the ones provided in the email.

Blue Tier Technology offers free, comprehensive technology evaluations that can help you pinpoint any security vulnerabilities within your organization. One of many features of this evaluation includes a 30-day trial of end-user phishing security awareness training. Contact us today for additional details via phone (918-215-5222 ) or email (general@bluetiertech.com).

http://www.bluetiertech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/head-in-the-clouds.jpg10381804Danielle Kurriehttp://www.bluetiertech.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Blue-Tier-Logo-UPDATED.pngDanielle Kurrie2017-11-10 09:52:402017-11-10 09:55:16Get Your Head Out of The Cloud